Method and apparatus for controlling the shutdown of computer systems by using service utilization information and examining a dependency relationship between the computers

Abstract

A service utilization information collection apparatus in a system including a plurality of computers interconnected through a network acquires names of computers which utilize services provided by a server machine and service utilization status from any one of the computers in the system, and includes a user command which may be executed in any one of the computers, and a service monitor and a local service monitor. A service to be monitored and a name of the server which provides the service are inputted to the user command which is sent to the service monitor. The service monitor issues a service utilization information collection request to the local service monitor operating on each of the computers. The service utilization information collected by the local service monitor is sent to the user through the service monitor and the user command.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. In a computer system including a plurality of computers interconnected through a network in which at least one of said plurality of computers provides at least one service to the others of said plurality of computers, a computer system shut-down method for controlling the shut down of at least one of said plurality of computers in said computer system comprises the steps of: inputting any identification ID of said service from an input device;   transmitting the input ID to said plurality of computers;   determining whether said service is utilized in each of said computers based on the transmitted service ID;   transmitting the service utilization information on the basis of the determination to said network when each of said computers is determined to utilize the service;   receiving the service utilization information on the network;   outputting the service utilization information to an output device;   collecting information regarding each of said plurality of computers utilizing the service provided by said at least one computer and information regarding the service for each of said plurality of computers in said computer system;   referencing the collected service utilization information, and, if there is a computer which utilizes said service provided by any computer to be shutdown, informing the computer utilizing said service of the shutdown;   determining whether or not there is a dependency relation loop between said plurality of computers, and, if there is a dependency relation loop, suppressing utilization of the service having a predetermined lowest priority dependency relation; and   shutting down a specific one of said plurality of computers on which no other computer depends.   
     
     
       2. In a computer system including a plurality of computers interconnected through a network in which at least one of said plurality of computers provides at least one service to the others of said plurality of computers, an apparatus for controlling the shut down of at least one of said plurality of computers in said computer system, comprising: input means for inputting an identification ID of said service from an input device;   means for transmitting the input ID to said plurality of computers;   means for determining whether said service is utilized in each of said plurality of computers based on the transmitted service ID;   means for transmitting the service utilization information to said network when said service is utilized in each of said plurality of computers according to said determining means; and   means for receiving the service utilization information on the network;   means for outputting the service utilization information to an output device;   means for examining a dependency relationship between said plurality of computers and suppressing utilization of the service having a predetermined lowest priority dependency relation; and   means for sequentially shutting down said plurality of computers starting with the computer whose service is not utilized by any other of said plurality of computers.   
     
     
       3. A computer system shutdown control apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising: user command processing means for issuing a collection request for the service utilization information which includes a name of at least one of said computers and at least one service provided by said computer, receiving the collected result and displaying the result;   service monitor means operating on at least one of said computers for accepting the collection request from said user command means, transmitting the collection request to some or all of said plurality of computers in said computer system, receiving results from the other computers and sending the results to said user command means; and   local service monitor means operating in all of said plurality of computers in said computer system for collecting information in respective ones of said plurality of computers in accordance with the collection request when the collection request from the service monitor is received and sending the collected result to said service monitor means.   
     
     
       4. A computer system shutdown control apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said local service monitor means collects the service utilization information by reading a file which stores names of computers that provide services which the respective computer utilizes and information regarding the services utilized therein. 
     
     
       5. A computer system shutdown control apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said local service monitor means collects the service utilization information by executing a command or function for collecting names of computers that provide services which the respective computer utilizes and information regarding the services utilized therein. 
     
     
       6. A computer system shutdown control apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising means for examining a status of a communication path by using a command or function for examining the status of the communication path between respective ones of said plurality of computers and others of said plurality of computers and determining a name of the computer of the communication path which meets the previously designated condition and a name of a service provided through the communication path which is given by a resource used by the communication path. 
     
     
       7. A computer system shutdown control apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising: user command processing means for issuing a collection request for the service utilization information which includes a name of at least one of said computers and at least one service provided by said computer, receiving the collected result and displaying the result;   service monitor means operating on at least one of said computers for accepting the collection request from said user command means, transmitting the collection request to some or all of said plurality of computers in said computer system, extracting information regarding any of said plurality of computers utilizing said at least one service of the computer which is designated by the collection request from the service utilization information and sending the extracted information to said user command means; and   local service monitor means operating on all of said plurality of computers in said computer system for periodically collecting information in respective ones of said plurality of computers in accordance with collection request when the collection request from the service monitor is received and sending the collected information to said service monitor means;   wherein said service monitor means receives names of those of said plurality of computers which provide the services utilized by said plurality of computers and information regarding the services periodically sent from said local service monitor means and storing the received information as the service utilization information.   
     
     
       8. A computer system shutdown control apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said local service monitor means transmits a change to said service monitor if the change from the previously collected information is included when the information is collected and sending all collected information to said service monitor means at every several information collection cycles whether or not the change is included therein. 
     
     
       9. A computer system shutdown control apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said local service monitor means determines the presence or absence of a change of a file storing the name of computers that provide the service utilized by respective ones of said plurality of computers and information on the service utilized, sends the change to said service monitor if the change is included therein and sends the entire file to said service monitor at every several information collection operations if the change is not included therein. 
     
     
       10. A computer system shutdown control apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said local service monitor means executes a command or function for collecting the name of computers that provide the service utilized by respective ones of said plurality of computers and information on the service utilized, sends the execution result of the command or function to said service monitor means when the collected information includes a change from the previously collected information, and send the execution result of the command or function to said service monitor means at every several information collection operations when the change is not included therein. 
     
     
       11. A computer system shutdown control apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising: user command processing means for issuing a collection request for the service utilization information which includes a name of at least one of said computers and at least one service provided by said computer, receiving the collected result and displaying the result;   service monitor means operating on at least one of said computers for accepting the collection request from said user command means, transmitting the collection request to some or all of said plurality of computers in said computer system, extracting information regarding any of said plurality of computers utilizing said at least one service of the computer which is designated by the collection request from the service utilization information and sending the information to said user command means; and   command or function processing means operating on all of said plurality of computers in said computer system for modifying a configuration of the services for which the information is to be collected and sending a change to said service monitor means in accordance with the modification;   wherein said service monitor means receives the change of the configuration of the services sent from said command or function processing means to change the service utilization information.